Power management for distributed antenna system

ABSTRACT

Certain aspects involve power management subsystems for a distributed antenna system (“DAS”) or other telecommunication system. The power management subsystem can include a measurement module and an optimization module. The measurement module can monitor a utilization metric for a remote unit in the DAS or other telecommunication system. The power optimization module can determine whether the remote unit is underutilized based on the monitored utilization metric. The power optimization module can configure the remote unit for a low-power operation in response to determining that the remote unit is underutilized.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/592,549 titled “POWER MANAGEMENT FOR DISTRIBUTEDANTENNA SYSTEM” filed on Jan. 8, 2015, which claims priority to, and thebenefit of, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/971,610, filed Mar.28, 2014 and titled “Energy Efficient Distributed Antenna System”, thecontents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to telecommunication systemsand more particularly (although not necessarily exclusively) to managingpower consumption in distributed antenna systems or othertelecommunication systems.

BACKGROUND

A distributed antenna system (“DAS”) can be used to provide wirelesscommunications coverage in a variety of environments, particularly inlarge structures such as office buildings, convention halls, airports,stadiums, and the like. A DAS can include one or more master units orother head-end units that are communicatively coupled to one or morebase stations. A DAS can also include multiple remote units that arecommunicatively coupled to each master unit. The remote units, each ofwhich can include one or more transceivers and antennas, can bedistributed across a coverage area. The remote units can transmit thedownlink signals to mobile phones or other terminal devices withincoverage areas serviced by the remote units.

A DAS or other telecommunication system may include multiple accesspoints in multiple areas. During certain time periods, at least some ofthe access points may not be utilized by mobile devices or otherterminal devices. For example, one or more floors of a building may notbe occupied by users of terminal devices outside of business hours.Operating access points in these locations during periods of lowutilization can unnecessarily or inefficiently utilize power in the DAS.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, a method for managing power consumption in atelecommunication system is provided. The method can involve monitoringa utilization metric for one or more remote units in thetelecommunication system. The utilization metric can include dataindicative of one or more terminal devices being available forcommunication with the remote unit. The method can also involvedetermining whether at least one remote unit is underutilized based onthe monitored utilization metric for the remote unit. The method canalso involve configuring the underutilized remote unit for low-poweroperation in response to determining that the remote unit isunderutilized.

According to another aspect, a power management subsystem is providedfor managing power consumption in a telecommunication system. The powermanagement subsystem can include a measurement module and anoptimization module. The measurement module can monitor a utilizationmetric for one or more remote units in the telecommunication system. Theutilization metric can include data indicative of one or more terminaldevices being available for communication with one or more of the remoteunits. The optimization module can determine whether at least one of theremote units is underutilized based on the monitored utilization metric.The optimization module can configure the underutilized remote unit fora low-power operation in response to determining that the remote unit isunderutilized.

According to another aspect, a distributed antenna system configured formanaging power consumption is provided. The distributed antenna systemcan include multiple remote units and a unit that can communicate withthe remote units and a base station. The remote units can wirelesslycommunicate with terminal devices in a coverage zone. Each remote unitcan include at least one utilization detection device for detecting dataindicative of a respective utilization metric for the remote unit. Theutilization metric can include data indicative of one or more terminaldevices being available for communication with the remote unit. The unitcan monitor the utilization metrics and determine whether at least oneof the remote units is underutilized based on at least one of themonitored utilization metrics. The unit can configure the underutilizedremote unit for a low-power operation.

These illustrative aspects and features are mentioned not to limit ordefine the disclosure, but to provide examples to aid understanding ofthe concepts disclosed in this application. Other aspects, advantages,and features of the present disclosure will become apparent after reviewof the entire application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting an example of a distributed antennasystem (“DAS”) that can include a power management subsystem accordingto one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an example of a remote unit from theDAS that can include a measurement receiver used by the power managementsubsystem of FIG. 1 according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an example of a remote unit from theDAS that is collocated with a sensor used by the power managementsubsystem of FIG. 1 according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a partial schematic diagram depicting an example of a remoteunit that can be configured for low-power operation using the powermanagement subsystem of FIG. 1 according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting an example of a process for managingpower consumption in a DAS according to one aspect of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram depicting an example of an implementation forthe power management subsystem of FIG. 1 according to one aspect of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain aspects and features relate to a power management subsystem thatcan be used for managing power consumption in a distributed antennasystem (“DAS”) or other telecommunication system. The power managementsubsystem can utilize one or more techniques for improving energyefficiency without negatively impacting coverage for potential users ofthe DAS or other telecommunication system. For example, the powermanagement subsystem can determine whether one or more remote units ofthe DAS are to be configured for low-power operation based on theutilization of the remote units or other attributes of the operatingenvironment in which the DAS is deployed.

In accordance with some aspects, the power management subsystem canmonitor a utilization metric for one or more remote units in the DAS.The utilization metric can include data that indicates whether one ormore terminal devices are available for communication with one or moreremote units. In some aspects, a utilization metric can include datathat indicates activity detected by one or more sensors. In one example,a sensor can detect a terminal device. In another example, a sensor candetect the presence of a user who may or may not utilize a terminaldevice. In additional or alternative aspects, a utilization metric caninclude data that indicates an amount of bandwidth used by one or moreterminal devices. In additional or alternative aspects, a utilizationmetric can include data that indicates a data rate used by one or moreterminal devices. The power management subsystem can use the utilizationmetric to determine whether one or more of the remote unit areunderutilized. For example, a remote unit may be underutilized if theamount of uplink traffic being received via the remote unit is less thana threshold amount of uplink traffic. The power management subsystem canconfigure one or more underutilized remote units for low-poweroperation. In one example, a power management subsystem that iscommunicatively coupled to a remote unit may transmit a control signalto the remote unit over a communication link that instructs the remoteunit to enter a low-power mode. Non-limiting examples of the low-powermode include an “off” state, a sleep mode in which circuitry used tocommunicate with mobile devices is powered off, a mode in which theremote unit uses fewer than all of the available frequency bands orchannels for communicating with mobiles devices, etc.

One or more types of data can be used, either alone or in combination,to obtain a utilization metric. One example of data used to obtain autilization metric is uplink traffic that is measured or otherwisedetected by a measurement receiver. Another example of data used toobtain a utilization metric is data obtained by a sensor device (e.g., amotion sensor). In some aspects, a combination of detected uplinktraffic data and detected motion data can be used to determine orotherwise obtain a utilization metric. For example, the detection ofmotion data alone may not indicate that a user present in a coveragezone is actually operating a terminal device that would necessitateoperating a remote unit in a high-power mode. Additionally oralternatively, detection of uplink traffic alone may not indicate aterminal device is being operated by a user if, for example, theterminal device has simply been left behind by a user and periodicallytransmits a pilot signal. Combining different types of data (e.g.,motion data and uplink traffic data) can result in a utilization metricindicating that a terminal device is both located in a coverage zone andbeing used in the coverage zone.

The power management subsystem can be used to reduce energy consumptionby the DAS. Reducing energy consumption by the DAS can result in reducedoperating costs. Reducing energy consumption by the DAS can alsoincrease the system reliability of the DAS by, for example, loweringoperating temperatures for one or more devices of the DAS. Lowering theoperating temperatures for one or more devices of the DAS can alsoreduce audible noise emitted by the DAS by, for example, reducing theneed to operate cooling fans.

Detailed descriptions of certain examples are discussed below. Theseillustrative examples are given to introduce the reader to the generalsubject matter discussed here and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe disclosed concepts. The following sections describe variousadditional aspects and examples with reference to the drawings in whichlike numerals indicate like elements, and directional descriptions areused to describe the illustrative examples but, like the illustrativeexamples, should not be used to limit the present disclosure. Thevarious figures described below depict examples of implementations forthe present disclosure, but should not be used to limit the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting an example of a DAS 102 that caninclude a power management subsystem 112. The DAS 102 can communicatesignals between one or more base stations 101 or other transceivingdevices (e.g., repeaters) in communication with the DAS 102 and terminaldevices in one or more coverage zones serviced by the DAS 102. Terminaldevices can be electronic devices used to communicate one or more ofvoice and data via a telecommunication system. The DAS 102 cancommunicate signals to terminal devices via a unit 104 (e.g., a masterunit, a base station router, etc.) and remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 cthat service one or more coverage zones. The unit 104 can becommunicatively coupled with the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c in anysuitable manner. Communicatively coupling devices in a DAS 102 or othertelecommunication system can involve establishing, maintaining, orotherwise using a communication link (e.g., a cable, an optical fiber, awireless link, etc.) to communicate information between the devices.

The unit 104 can receive downlink signals from the base stations 101 andtransmit uplink signals to the base stations 101. Any suitablecommunication link can be used for communication between the basestation 101 and a unit 104. A suitable communication link can be a wiredconnection or a wireless connection. A wired connection can include, forexample, a connection via a copper cable, an optical fiber, or anothersuitable communication medium. A wireless connection can include, forexample, a wireless RF communication link or a microwave link.

In some aspects, the unit 104 can be a master unit or other suitableunit that can communicate with one or more base stations 101 or othertransceiving devices in communication with the DAS 102. A master unitcan include, for example, an optical transceiver that transmits opticalsignals to remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c in a DAS 102. The masterunit or other suitable unit 104 can communicate with remote units 106 a,106 b, 106 c in different coverage zones of the same DAS 102. Inadditional or alternative aspects, the unit 104 can be included in abase station router or other suitable unit that can communicate signalsbetween one or more base stations 101 and one or more master units. Inadditional or alternative aspects, the unit 104 can be included in anextension unit or other suitable unit that can communicate signalsbetween one or more master units and the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106c.

The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c can provide signal coverage in oneor more coverage zones. The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c can includetransceiving devices that can include or be communicatively coupled toone or more antennas. Providing signal coverage in the coverage zonescan include wirelessly transmitting downlink signals received from theunit 104 to terminal devices in the coverage zones. Providing signalcoverage in the coverage zones can also include wirelessly receivinguplink signals from the mobile communication devices or other terminaldevices in the coverage zones. The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c cantransmit the uplink signals to the unit 104.

The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c can respectively includetransmitter antenna elements 108 a, 108 b, 108 c. The transmitterantenna elements 108 a, 108 b, 108 c can be used to transmit wirelesssignals to terminals devices. The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c canalso respectively include receiver antenna elements 110 a, 110 b, 110 c.The receiver antenna elements 110 a, 110 b, 110 c can be used totransmit wireless signals to terminals devices.

For illustrative purposes, each of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 cis depicted in FIG. 1 as including a single transmitter antenna elementand a single receiver antenna element. However, a remote unit caninclude any number of transmitter antenna elements and receiver antennaelements. In one example, a remote unit that is configured forsingle-input/single-output (“SISO”) operation can use one transmitterantenna element for transmitting downlink signals and one receiverantenna element for receiving uplink signals. In another example, aremote unit that is configured for multiple-input/multiple-output(“MIMO”) operation can use multiple transmitter antenna elements totransmit signals to the same terminal device and can use multiplereceiver antenna elements to receive signals from the terminal device.

In some aspects, a remote unit having multiple transmitter antennaelements and multiple receiver antenna elements can be configured tooperate in a SISO mode and in a MIMO mode. In the SISO mode, the remoteunit can use each antenna element for communication with a differentterminal device. In the MIMO mode, the remote unit can use multipleantenna elements for communication with the same terminal device.

In additional or alternative aspects, one or more of the remote units106 a, 106 b, 106 c can use the same antenna element for transmittingand receiving signals. For example, a remote unit configured fortime-division duplexing operation may use the same antenna element orset of antenna elements for transmitting signals during a first timeperiod and for receiving signals during a second time period.

Although FIG. 1 depicts a direct connection between the unit 104 and theremote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, other implementations are possible. Insome aspects, the unit 104 can be communicatively coupled to the remoteunits 106 a, 106 b, 106 c via one or more extension units or otherintermediate devices.

Although FIG. 1 depicts one unit 104 and three remote units 106 a, 106b, 106 c, a DAS 102 can include any number of units 104 and any numberof remote units.

The DAS 102 can include a power management subsystem 112. The powermanagement subsystem 112 can be used to reduce inefficient power usageby the DAS. For example, the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c may beconfigured to communicate on five frequency bands, each of which isassociated with a respective amount of bandwidth used for the frequencyband. During a given time period, the remote units 106 a, 106 b maycommunicate signals with terminal devices in all five frequency bands,and the remote unit 106 c may communicate signals with terminal devicesin one of the five frequency bands. The remote unit 106 c may thereforebe underutilized. The remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c may consume thesame amount of power during the time period, which may be undesirable ifthe remote unit 106 c is underutilized.

The power management subsystem 112 can perform one or more actions toreduce power usage by the DAS 102 based on determining or otherwiseidentifying that a remote unit is underutilized. For example, the powermanagement subsystem 112 can determine that reduced uplink traffic isbeing received via the remote unit 106 c as compared to the remote units106 a, 106 b. In response to determining that reduced uplink traffic isbeing received via the remote unit 106 c, the power management subsystem112 can transmit or otherwise provide a control signal to the remoteunit 106 c that causes the remote unit 106 c to operate in a low-powermode. In the event that the utilization of the remote unit 106 csubsequently increases or the utilization of the remote units 106 a, 106b decreases, the power management subsystem 112 can rebalance the powerconsumption of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c.

In some aspects, the power management subsystem 112 can be included inthe unit 104. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, the power managementsubsystem 112 can include a measurement module 114 and an optimizationmodule 116 that are included in or communicatively coupled to the unit104. In additional or alternative aspects, one or more of themeasurement module 114 and the optimization module 116 can include oneor more devices that are included in or communicatively coupled to oneor more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c.

The measurement module 114 can be used to determine or otherwise obtaina utilization metric for one or more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b,106 c. The measurement module 114 can determine or otherwise obtain autilization metric based on monitoring system traffic in the DAS 102.The optimization module 116 can be used to determine whether one or moreremote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c are underutilized based on theutilization metric. The optimization module 116 can configure the DAS102 to operate in a low-power mode based on determining that one or moreremote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c are underutilized. For example, theoptimization module 116 can be used to configure one or more of theremote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c into a low-power mode when the remoteunit is underutilized.

In some aspects, the measurement module 114 can include or utilizeinformation received from one or more measurement receivers. Ameasurement receiver can be used to monitor traffic in the DAS 102 todetermine whether one or more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 care underutilized. In some aspects, the measurement receiver can beincluded in or communicatively coupled to the unit 104. For example, themeasurement receiver can be included in or communicatively coupled to amaster unit, an extension unit or other intermediary hub, or anothersuitable device that is communicatively coupled to multiple remote units106 a, 106 b, 106 c.

In additional or alternative aspects, measurement receivers can beincluded in or communicatively coupled to the remote units 106 a, 106 b,106 c. For example, FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting an example of aremote unit 106 that can include a measurement receiver 202 used in thepower management subsystem 112. The measurement receiver 202 can includeany device or group of devices suitable for measuring one or morecharacteristics of signals that are communicated via the DAS 102.

In additional or alternative aspects, the measurement module 114 caninclude or be communicatively coupled to sensors that are used to detectmovement or other information in one or more coverage zones serviced bythe DAS 102. For example, FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an exampleof a remote unit 106 that is collocated with a sensor 304 used by thepower management subsystem 112. The sensor 304 can be used to detectactivity in a coverage zone 302 serviced by the remote unit 106. Forexample, the sensor 304 can be used to determine whether the coveragezone 302 is occupied. The presence or absence of sensed objects oractivities can be used by the power management subsystem 112 todetermine whether full-power coverage is desirable (e.g., when thecoverage zone 302 is occupied) or low-power coverage is desirable (e.g.,when the coverage zone 302 is unoccupied). Examples of a sensor 304include a proximity sensor, a motion sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, aradio frequency identification (“RFID”) scanner or sensor for scanningor receiving RFID signals from RFID tags or badges, a radar-basedsensor, a thermal sensor, etc.

In some aspects, the sensor 304 can be separate from the remote unit106, as depicted in FIG. 3. The sensor 304 can be communicativelycoupled to the unit 104 or another device that includes the powermanagement subsystem 112. Data indicative of activity levels or otherinformation in the coverage zone 302 can be transmitted or otherwiseprovided from the sensor 304 to the power management subsystem 112. Inadditional or alternative aspects, the sensor 304 can be included in orcommunicatively coupled to the remote unit 106. The remote unit 106 cantransmit or otherwise provide data obtained from the sensor 304 to thepower management subsystem 112. For example, data obtained from thesensor 304 can be transmitted via a communication link between theremote unit 106 and the unit 104.

The remote unit 106 can include one or more transceivers having radiofrequency (“RF”) processing devices. For example, FIG. 4 is a partialschematic diagram depicting an example of a remote unit 106 that can beconfigured for low-power operation using the power management subsystem112. The remote unit 106 can include one or more processing modules 402and one or more transceivers 403. The processing module 402 can be usedto perform digital signal processing of downlink signals and uplinksignals communicated by the remote unit 106. The processing module 402can include one or more of a field-programmable gate array (“FPGA”), adigital signal processer (“DSP”), and any other device or group ofdevices suitable for processing digital downlink signals and digitaluplink signals.

The transceiver 403 can include one or more downlink RF processing paths404 and one or more uplink RF processing paths 406. A downlink RFprocessing path 404 can include a digital-to-analog converter 408, amixer 410, a local oscillator 412, and a power amplifier 414. Thedigital-to-analog converter 408 can convert digital downlink signalsinto analog signals. In some aspects, the downlink signals can have anintermediate frequency (“IF”) used by the processing module 402. Themixer 410 and the local oscillator 412 can be used to up-convert the IFdownlink signals to RF downlink signals for transmission to terminaldevices. The power amplifier 414 can be used to increase the gain of RFdownlink signals for transmission to terminal devices via one or moretransmitter antenna elements 108.

An uplink RF processing path 406 can include a low-noise amplifier 416,a local oscillator 418, a mixer 420, a filter 422, and ananalog-to-digital converter 424. The low-noise amplifier 416 canincrease the gain of uplink signals received via one or more receiverantenna elements 110. The local oscillator 418 and the mixer 420 can beused to down-convert the uplink signals from RF to IF for processing bythe processing module 402. The filter 422 can filter the IF uplinksignals. The analog-to-digital converter 424 can convert analog uplinksignals to digital uplink signals for processing by the processingmodule 402.

For illustrative purposes, FIG. 4 depicts a single transceiver 403having a single downlink RF processing path 404 and a single uplink RFprocessing path 406. However, a remote unit 106 can include any numberof transceivers 403 having any number of downlink RF processing paths404 and uplink RF processing paths 406.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting an example of a process 500 formanaging power consumption in a DAS 102 or other telecommunicationsystem. The process 500 is described with respect to one or more of theaspects and examples described above with respect to FIGS. 1-4. Otherimplementations, however, are possible.

The process 500 involves monitoring a utilization metric for the DAS102, as depicted in block 502. For example, one or more devices of thepower management subsystem 112 can determine or otherwise obtain autilization metric for the DAS 102. The utilization metric can includedata that indicates whether one or more terminal devices are availablefor communication with one or more remote units. In some aspects, autilization metric can include data that indicates activity detected byone or more sensors. In one example, a sensor can detect a terminaldevice. In another example, a sensor can detect the presence of a userwho may or may not utilize a terminal device. In additional oralternative aspects, a utilization metric can include data thatindicates an amount of bandwidth used by one or more terminal devices.In additional or alternative aspects, a utilization metric can includedata that indicates a data rate used by one or more terminal devices.

The power management subsystem 112 can use one or more types of dataeither alone or in combination to obtain the utilization metric. Oneexample of data used to obtain a utilization metric is data associatedwith uplink traffic that is measured or otherwise detected by ameasurement receiver 202. Another example of data used to obtain autilization metric is occupancy data obtained by sensor 304 (e.g., amotion sensor, a proximity sensor, a thermal sensor, etc.).

In some aspects, monitoring a utilization metric for the DAS 102 caninvolve utilizing a measurement receiver to monitor system traffic inthe DAS 102. In some aspects, system traffic in the DAS 102 can includeuplink traffic received by one or more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b,106 c. In additional or alternative aspects, system traffic in the DAS102 can include downlink traffic. One or more measurement receivers canbe included in or communicatively coupled to a remote unit 106 (asdepicted in FIG. 2), in a master unit or other unit 104, or in anintermediary hub (e.g., an expansion unit) serving several remote units.The utilization metric can be determined from the monitored systemtraffic. The power management subsystem 112 can determine from theutilization metric whether one or more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b,106 c are underutilized.

In additional or alternative aspects, monitoring a utilization metricfor the DAS 102 can involve using a sensor to detect occupancyinformation or other activity within a coverage zone of one or moreremote units. For example, the power management subsystem 112 canreceive and analyze data received from one or more sensors 304 todetermine occupancy levels or other activity in serviced coverage zones302. The occupancy level can be used to obtain the utilization metric,either alone or in combination with other data (e.g., levels of uplinktraffic received by remote units). In one example, one or more sensors304 can be configured to monitor sensors attached to employees orphysical assets that may move through a coverage zone 302.

In some aspects, a combination of detected uplink traffic data anddetected occupancy data can be used to determine or otherwise obtain autilization metric. Combining different types of data (e.g., occupancydata and uplink traffic data) can result in a utilization metric that isindicative of both a terminal device being located in a coverage zoneand the terminal device being used for communication in the coveragezone.

In additional or alternative aspects, the power management subsystem 112can obtain a utilization metric by sensing, detecting, or otherwisedetermining power consumption levels at specific power delivery pointsin a location serviced by the DAS 102. For example, an increase in powerusage in a coverage zone (e.g., power consumption by lighting devices,power consumption by devices plugged into an outlet, etc.) may indicatethat a user is present in the coverage zone. The power managementsubsystem 112 can use the increase in power consumption to identify orotherwise determine a utilization metric. In one example, the powermanagement subsystem 112 may be coupled to a power delivery system in anarea serviced by a DAS 102. The power management subsystem 112 maydetermine that power is being provided via certain power outlets basedon detecting increased electrical power at one or more points in thepower delivery system. In another example, the power managementsubsystem 112 may be communicatively coupled to a server or otherhead-end unit of a power delivery system in an area serviced by a DAS102. The power management subsystem 112 may determine that power isbeing provided via certain power outlets based on communication with theserver or other head-end unit of a power delivery system. For example,the power management subsystem 112 may receive data from a head-end unitindicating that power is being provided via certain power outlets basedon the head-end unit detecting increased electrical power at one or morepoints in the power delivery system.

The process 500 also involves determining whether the utilization metricis below a threshold utilization, as depicted in block 504. For example,a processing device included in or used by the power managementsubsystem 112 can execute one or more algorithms that compare theutilization metric to a threshold utilization. A value for a thresholdutilization can be determined, selected, identified, or otherwiseobtained in any suitable manner. In some aspects, the value for thethreshold utilization can be entered, selected, or otherwise obtained bya user via a suitable interface presented by a computing device. Inadditional or alternative aspects, the value for the thresholdutilization can be automatically determined, identified, or otherwiseobtained by a processing device of the power management subsystem 112.For example, the processing device can execute an algorithm foranalyzing historical usage conditions for the DAS 102. The processingdevice can determine a threshold utilization based on the analyzed usageconditions for the DAS 102.

If the utilization metric has a value less than a threshold utilization,the process 500 involves configuring the DAS 102 for low-poweroperation, as depicted in block 506. For example, utilization metricsfor respective remote units 106 a, 106 b may have values that aregreater than the threshold utilization. The power management subsystem112 can respond to determining that these values of the utilizationmetrics are greater than the threshold utilization by continuing tooperate the remote units 106 a, 106 b in a high-power mode. Operatingthe remote units 106 a, 106 b in a high-power mode can include operatingsome or all of the communication and processing circuitry included inthe remote units 106 a, 106 b for communicating with one or moreterminal devices. The utilization metrics for a remote unit 106 c mayhave a value that is less than the threshold utilization. The powermanagement subsystem 112 can respond to determining that this value ofthe utilization metric is less than the threshold utilization byconfiguring the remote unit 106 c to operate in a low-power mode.Operating the remote unit 106 c in a low-power mode can includeoperating fewer than all of the communication and processing circuitryincluded in the remote unit 106 c for communicating with one or moreterminal devices. Operating a remote unit 106 c in a low-power mode cancause the remote unit to consume a lower amount of power than would beconsumed by the remote unit 106 c being operated in a high-power mode.

If the utilization metric has a value greater than or equal to athreshold utilization, the process 500 involves determining if the DAS102 is in a low-power mode, as depicted at block 508. If the DAS 102 isnot in a low-power mode, the process 500 can return to block 502 andcontinue monitoring the utilization metric. If the DAS 102 is in alow-power mode, the process 500 involves configuring the DAS 102 forhigh-power operation, as depicted in block 510. Configuring the DAS 102for high-power operation can involve reversing or otherwise modifyingone or more aspects of the DAS 102 used to configure the DAS 102 forlow-power operation as described herein with respect to block 506. Theprocess 500 can return to block 502 and continue monitoring theutilization metric.

Power consumption for a remote unit can be reduced in any suitablemanner. In some aspects, configuring the remote unit for the low-poweroperation can involve deactivating a communication device in the remoteunit. One example of a communication device is an antenna element, suchas a transmitter element or receiver element. Another example of acommunication device is an RF signal processing device. For example,configuring a remote unit 106 for low-power operation can involvedeactivating one or more devices included in one or more of the downlinkRF processing path 404 and the uplink RF processing path 406.

In some aspects, a remote unit 106 can be configured for low-poweroperation by deactivating one or more of the number of transmitterantenna elements 108 and the number of receiver antenna elements 110 ina remote unit 106 or otherwise reducing the number of antenna elementsthat are used by the remote unit 106 for communicating with terminaldevices. In one example, the number of antenna elements used for MIMOoperation can be reduced (e.g., from a four-by-four MIMO configurationto a two-by-two MIMO configuration). In another example, a remote unit106 can be switched from a MIMO mode to a SISO mode. The MIMO mode caninvolve utilizing multiple antenna elements and the SISO mode caninvolve utilizing a single antenna element for transmission andreception or otherwise using fewer than all of the antenna elements usedin the MIMO mode. Reducing the number of transmitter antenna elements108 and the number of receiver antenna elements 110 that are used forcommunicating with terminal devices can reduce power consumption by theremote unit 106. The power management subsystem 112 may subsequentlydetermine that additional signal coverage is desirable in a coveragezone (e.g., by determining that a previously unoccupied coverage zonehas become occupied). The power management subsystem 112 can configurethe remote unit 106 to increase one or more of the number of transmitterantenna elements 108 and the number of receiver antenna elements 110that are used for communicating with terminal devices in response todetermining that additional signal coverage is desirable.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring a remote unit 106 forlow-power operation can involve reducing the power consumed by a poweramplifier 414 in the remote unit 106. For example, the remote unit 106may be configured to reduce the bias voltage for the power amplifier414. Reducing the bias voltage of the power amplifier 414 can allow theremote unit 106 to remain active and allow new calls or data requests tobe initiated, while still saving power. For example, the maximumcomposite output power can be reduced, thereby lowering capacity andpower consumption without reducing the coverage area. In some aspects,reducing the bias voltage of the power amplifier 414 can allow the gainof the power amplifier to remain the same. For some telecommunicationstandards (e.g., LTE or CDMA), pilot power can remain the same, and thusthe coverage radius can be unaffected. Reducing the bias voltage of thepower amplifier 414 can reduce power consumption by the remote unit 106without decreasing signal coverage provided by the remote unit 106 belowa desirable level. In some aspects, the remote unit 106 may beconfigured to reduce the power consumed by a power amplifier 414 bypowering down one or more parallel downlink RF processing paths 404 orusing a lower power device. The power management subsystem 112 maysubsequently determine that additional signal coverage is desirable in acoverage zone (e.g., by determining that a previously unoccupiedcoverage zone has become occupied). The power management subsystem 112can configure the remote unit 106 to increase the power consumed by apower amplifier 414 in response to determining that additional signalcoverage is desirable.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring a remote unit 106 forlow-power operation can involve reducing the number of RF bands forwhich coverage is provided. For example, a remote unit 106 may havemultiple transmit and receive signal paths. Having multiple transmit andreceive signal paths can allow the remote unit 106 to operate inmultiple bands simultaneously. The remote unit 106 can operate in alow-power mode by suspending coverage for one or more of RF bands (e.g.,by not providing service in those RF bands during a given time period).Suspending coverage for one or more of RF bands can allow the remoteunit 106 to deactivate devices in corresponding receive and transmitpaths. Reducing the number of RF bands for which coverage is providedcan thereby reduce or eliminate power consumption by RF components inthe deactivated receive and transmit paths. Reducing the number of RFbands for which coverage is provided can also reduce power consumed bysignal processing components (e.g., an FPGA, a DSP, etc.) in theprocessing module 402.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring a remote unit 106 forlow-power operation can involve deactivating or reducing powerconsumption by the transceiver 403 of the remote unit 106. For example,a remote unit 106 can deactivate or reduce power consumption bytransmitters and receivers in the transceiver 403 during a low-powermode. In the low-power mode, the remote unit 106 can operate one or moredevices used for communicating with the power management subsystem 112.

In some aspects, the remote unit 106 can subsequently activate orincrease power consumption by transmitters and receivers in thetransceiver 403 in response to receiving a command from the powermanagement subsystem 112 to increase signal coverage by the remote unit106. In additional or alternative aspects, the remote unit 106 canactivate or increase power consumption by transmitters and receivers inthe transceiver 403 in response to obtaining data from one or moresensors 304 that indicates the presence of potential users. Inadditional or alternative aspects, the remote unit 106 can activate orincrease power consumption by transmitters and receivers in thetransceiver 403 in response to a scheduling algorithm indicating thatthe remote unit 106 should enter a high-power mode.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring a remote unit 106 forlow-power operation can involve deactivating circuitry that is not usedfor detecting terminal devices in a coverage zone serviced by a remoteunit 106. For example, a remote unit 106 that includes a transceiver 403and one or more of a measurement receiver 202 and a sensor 304 may beoperated in a low-power mode in which the transceiver 403 is deactivatedand one or more of the measurement receiver 202 and the sensor 304 areactive. In some aspects, an amount of circuitry of the remote unit 106can be activated that is sufficient for identifying activity on alimited number of frequency bands or a limited number of technologies.The remote unit 106 can communicate data to a unit 104 used to managepower consumption in one or more coverage zones during inactive periods.The remote unit 106 can communicate the data based on a detection ofinformation indicative of a terminal device being in the coverage zone(e.g., a detection of uplink traffic by a measurement receiver 202, adetection of motion by a sensor 304, etc.).

In some aspects, circuitry that is used for determining the presence ofterminal devices in a coverage zone may be limited to a measurementreceiver 202 and a processing device in the remote unit 106. Theprocessing device in the remote unit 106 can be powered at a level thatis sufficient for analyzing data obtained using the measurement receiver202. In additional or alternative aspects, circuitry that is used fordetermining the presence of terminal devices in a coverage zone may belimited to a sensor 304 and a processing device in the remote unit 106.The processing device in the remote unit 106 can be powered at a levelthat is sufficient for analyzing data obtained using the sensor 304. Inadditional or alternative aspects, circuitry that is used fordetermining the presence of terminal devices in a coverage zone may belimited to one or more of measurement receiver 202 and a sensor 304,transmitter circuitry for transmitting data via a communication link toa remote processing device of the power management subsystem 112 fromone or more of measurement receiver 202 and a sensor 304, receivercircuitry for receiving a control signal via a communication link from aremote processing device of the power management subsystem 112, and aprocessing device in the remote unit 106. The processing device in theremote unit 106 can be powered at a level that is sufficient forreceiving a control signal from the remote power management subsystem112 and configuring the remote unit 106 to switch to a high-power modein response to receiving the control signal.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring a remote unit 106 forlow-power operation can involve powering some or all of the circuitry ofthe remote unit 106 for specified time intervals. A time interval may beperiodic or pseudo-random. The time interval can be controlled by atimer that is used by a processing device in the remote unit 106. Ifdata indicative of a terminal device being in the coverage zone (e.g.,uplink traffic measured by a measurement receiver 202, data detected bya sensor 304, etc.) is detected during this interval, the processingdevice of the remote unit 106 can reset the timer. Resetting the timerin response to detecting data indicative of a terminal device being inthe coverage zone can allow the remote unit 106 to remain in ahigh-power state if terminal devices are in a coverage zone serviced bythe remote unit 106. If the timer expires (e.g., no uplink trafficdetected or sensor activity is detected in the time period correspondingto the timer), some or all of the circuitry of the remote unit 106 canbe deactivated for a first time interval and activated for a second timeinterval subsequent to the first time interval. The second time intervalmay be shorter in duration than the first time interval. In some aspectsinvolving telecommunication systems using one or more of multiplefrequency band or multiple telecommunication technologies, a remote unit106 can cycle through high-power and low-power modes in a manner that isspecific for each frequency band or each technology.

The time interval for which a remote unit 106 is activated can besufficiently long for detecting uplink traffic or other data indicativeof a terminal device being in a coverage zone serviced by the remoteunit 106. For example, the remote unit 106 can be activated for a periodof time sufficient for a terminal device to discover the remote unit 106and initiate a call or other transmission via the remote unit 106. Insome aspects, the remote unit 106 can be activated in accordance with aspecified frequency (e.g., once every one or two seconds, once per hour,etc.) and the period of activation can be much shorter than thefrequency of activation (e.g., several milliseconds, several minutes,etc.).

In some aspects, different remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c can beoperated using different frequencies of activation. For example, aremote unit 106 a may be used to provide a minimum coverage level for acoverage zone and may be activated more frequently than remote units 106b, 106 c that are used to provide more extensive coverage for largernumbers of terminal devices.

In additional or alternative aspects, the power management subsystem 112can utilize learning algorithms to differentiate between cases in whichthe presence of terminal devices necessitate a remote unit 106 enteringa high-power mode and cases in which the presence of terminal devices donot necessitate the remote unit 106 entering a high-power mode (e.g.,terminal devices being present in a coverage zone but not being used bya user). For example, the power management subsystem 112 may detectterminal devices such as mobile phones or tablet computers that havebeen left in a coverage zone by a user (e.g., overnight).

In some aspects, the power management subsystem 112 may use learningalgorithms to monitor for certain frequency bands or technologiesassociated with signal traffic that is more likely to be used by a userduring a certain time period (e.g., mobile phones) and may disregardother frequency bands or technologies associated with signal trafficthat is less likely to be used by a user during a certain time period(e.g., laptop computers). For example, a given terminal device (e.g.,tablet computer using an LTE technology) may periodically transmitsignals at fixed intervals during a period (e.g., checking for e-mail).The power management subsystem 112 may determine that the terminaldevice having a certain network identifier transmits signals using onlythe fixed intervals and does not transmit signals outside theseintervals. The power management subsystem 112 may determine thistransmission behavior is indicative of a terminal device that is notbeing operated by a user in the coverage zone. The power managementsubsystem 112 may respond to determining that the terminal device is notbeing used in a coverage zone by disregarding signal traffic from thisterminal device when determining whether to configure one or more remoteunits in the coverage zone for high-power operation.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring the DAS 102 forlow-power operation can involve reducing a number of channels used byone or more devices in the DAS 102 for communicating with terminaldevices or other devices. For example, a number of channels used by theremote unit 106 to communicate with terminal devices can be reduced.Reducing the number of channels that are used for transmission canreduce the amount of signal processing performed by the remote unit 106.Reducing the amount of signal processing performed by the remote unit106 can reduce the amount of power consumed by one or more signalprocessing devices (e.g., an FPGA, a DSP, a controller integratedcircuit) in the processing module 402. Additionally or alternatively, anumber of channels used by the unit 104 to communicate with the remoteunits 106 a, 106 b, 106 c can be reduced.

In additional or alternative aspects, reducing power consumption in theDAS 102 can involve deactivating or reducing power consumption byindividual remote units entirely. For example, depending on the systemconfiguration or building usage patterns, it may be acceptable todeactivate some remote units entirely if one or more suitable criteria(e.g., schedule-based criteria, sensor-based criteria, uplink trafficcriteria, etc.) have been satisfied. For example, if the powermanagement subsystem 112 determines that a given coverage zone isunoccupied, the power management subsystem 112 can cause one or moreremote units in the center of the coverage zone to be deactivated andallow one or more remote units along the periphery of the coverage zoneto continue monitoring for activity. The power management subsystem 112can reactivate the remote units in the center of the coverage zone inresponse to the remote units along the periphery of the coverage zonedetecting activity indicative of potential network users entering thecoverage zone. Additionally or alternatively, a first set of remoteunits in a first portion of a serviced area (e.g., a first floor of aserviced building) can be deactivated at specified times of day while asecond set of remote units in a second portion of a serviced area (e.g.,a second floor of the serviced building) remain fully operational.Additionally or alternatively, remote units can be deactivated orotherwise configured for low-power operation in an alternating pattern(e.g., an “on-off, on-off” pattern in which every other remote unit isdeactivated). For some modulation types, the coverage radius ofindividual remote units 106 can be higher under light loadingconditions. Having fewer terminal devices being serviced by the DAS 102may result in a lower total noise floor for any individual user toovercome.

In some aspects, one or more remote units 106 or other access points canbe designated to operate in a high-power mode during a period in whichother remote units or access points in the same coverage zone areconfigured to operate in a low-power mode. For example, a remote unit106 that is designated to operate in a high-power mode may be located atingress points. An ingress point may be a location in a building orother area serviced by the DAS 102 that a user of terminal device musttraverse before moving to other locations in the building or other areaserviced by the DAS 102. Examples of ingress points include entrances tobuildings, boundaries of a cell or coverage zone, etc. The remote unit106 that monitors an ingress point can transmit or otherwise providedata to the power management subsystem 112 that is indicative of aterminal device approaching or traversing the ingress point. In someaspects, the data can be a message generated by a processing device ofthe remote unit 106. The processing device can execute an algorithm fordetermining that the terminal device is present based on the detecteduplink traffic or sensor data and generating the message to notify thepower management subsystem 112 of the presence of the terminal device.In other aspects, the data can be sensor data or uplink traffic that istransmitted to the power management subsystem 112 by the remote unit 106over a communication link. The power management subsystem 112 canexecute an algorithm that determines that the terminal device is presentbased on the detected uplink traffic or sensor data received from theremote unit 106. In some aspects, the power management subsystem 112 maybe remote from the remote unit 106 and accessed via a communication linkin the DAS 102. In additional or alternative aspects, the powermanagement subsystem 112 may be included in the remote unit 106 and mayreceive data from one or more of a measurement receiver 202 and a sensor304 via an internal data bus in the remote unit 106.

The power management subsystem 112 can respond to obtaining the datathat is indicative of a terminal device approaching or traversing theingress point by configuring one or more additional remote units in thecoverage zone to switch from a low-power mode to a high-power mode. Insome aspects, the additional remote units can be all of the remote unitsservicing the coverage zone. In other aspects, the additional remoteunits can be limited to the remote units that are adjacent to orotherwise geographically located close to the remote unit that monitorsthe ingress point. In some aspects, one or more of the additional remoteunits can remain in the high-power mode based on detecting the uplinktraffic or sensor data indicating that the terminal device is near theadditional remote units. The additional remote units may switch back tothe low-power mode based on an absence of uplink traffic or sensor dataindicating that the terminal device is near the additional remote units.

In some aspects, the power management subsystem 112 can utilize datareceived from a base station 101 to determine whether to configure oneor more of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c for high-poweroperation. For example, a unit 104 that is communicatively coupled to abase station 101 may receive data from the base station 101 regardingthe location of a terminal device. A power management subsystem 112included in or communicatively coupled to the unit 104 can determinefrom the location of the terminal device that the terminal device isnear one or more coverage zones of the DAS 102. The power managementsubsystem 112 can respond to determining that the terminal device isnear one or more coverage zones of the DAS 102 by configuring one ormore of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c to switch to a high-powermode.

In additional or alternative aspects, the data indicative of terminaldevices being in a coverage zone can be used for controlling the powerof additional devices. In one example, the data indicative of terminaldevices being present in or absent from a coverage zone can be used foroperating security-related devices, such as by activating intrusiondetection devices, closed-circuit cameras, camera recording, or othersecurity features in response to determining that terminal devices areabsent from a coverage zone. In another example, the data indicative ofterminal devices being present in or absent from a coverage zone can beused for temperature control systems. In some aspects, the powermanagement subsystem 112 can directly control additional devices usingthis data. In additional or alternative aspects, the power managementsubsystem 112 can transmit this data to servers or other control systemsthat directly control additional devices.

In additional or alternative aspects, configuring the DAS 102 forlow-power operation can involve reducing power consumption by the unit104. For example, a unit 104 may provide multiple services in the DAS102, such as communicating with the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c aswell as communicating with one or more servers in an area serviced bythe DAS 102. The unit 104 can be configured to deactivate one or moreservices that are not expected to be used during specified time periodsor during time periods corresponding to a utilization metric being belowa threshold utilization.

In additional or alternative aspects, the power management subsystem 112can execute one or more scheduling algorithms that can be used forconfiguring at least of some of the remote units 106 a, 106 b, 106 c forlow-power operation based on a schedule. The schedule can, for example,include one or more low-utilization periods. Examples of alow-utilization period include time periods in which reduced amounts ofcoverage are needed, time periods in which lower data rates areacceptable according to observed or detected historical conditions, etc.An example of a time period when less coverage is needed or when lowerdata rates are acceptable can include times when a stadium, a building,or another area serviced by a DAS 102 is not in use or when a particularfloor of an office building or other structure is unoccupied. In someaspects, the power management subsystem 112 can use a schedulingalgorithm in combination with one or more operations described abovewith respect to the method 500. For example, the power managementsubsystem 112 can use one or more of measurement receivers 202 andsensors 304 to manage power consumption during normal business hours,and the power management subsystem 112 can deactivate some or all remoteunits 106 a, 106 b 106 c of the DAS 102 during non-business hours.

In some aspects, the power management subsystem 112 can track totalenergy savings (e.g., as compared to a full-coverage, full-rate DASrunning full-time) and report the results. For example, the energysavings can be reported using any suitable metrics, such as (but notlimited to) kilowatt-hours saved, tons of carbon emissions avoided,estimated cost savings, etc.

Although FIGS. 1-5 are described above for a DAS 102, a power managementsubsystem 112 can be used in any telecommunication system havingmultiple transceiver devices or other signal radiating points. Forexample, a power management subsystem 112 can be used to manage powerfor a telecommunication system that includes multiple macro-cell basestations, multiple small-cell base stations, multiple remote radioheads, etc. The power management subsystem 112 can be used to managepower consumption in telecommunication systems involving distributedcommunication with a higher propensity for imbalance of use (e.g.,buildings or other structures in which usage may be higher in certainlocations during certain time periods and lower in those locationsduring other time periods).

In addition to configuring the DAS to operate in a lower power stateunder certain conditions, the subject matter described herein alsoprovides for power saving of a base station that serves the DAS 102. Thepower consumption of base stations that serve the DAS 102 can be asubstantial part of the overall power consumption. The DAS 102 canmonitor and dynamically route traffic to areas based on utilization orother criteria. For example, a large building might have a base stationsector allocated for each floor to handle a peak traffic condition. Aten-story building might have ten base station sectors dedicated to theDAS 102. During nights, weekends, or other times of non-peak occupancy,the building may only need the capacity of a single sector to processthe traffic generated by users in the DAS 102. The DAS 102 can beconfigured to monitor traffic usage per floor or per area anddynamically reroute the traffic to designated sectors. The remainingsectors of the base station can be placed in a low-power mode. Placing aportion of the sectors in a low-power mode can save power in the basestation hardware as well as the power in the DAS 102. Monitoring trafficutilization, rerouting traffic to designated sectors, and placing somesectors in a low-power mode can be performed for each operator, and mayinclude coordination or communication between the base station 101 andthe DAS 102.

Any suitable device or group of devices can be used to implement thepower management subsystem 112. For example, FIG. 6 is a block diagramdepicting an example of an implementation of the power managementsubsystem 112. The power management subsystem 112 can include themeasurement module 114 and the optimization module 116. The measurementmodule 114 can include, for example, one or more utilization detectiondevices 602 that can be used to detect data indicative of a utilizationmetric for a remote unit. One example of a utilization detection device602 is a measurement receiver 202. Another example of a utilizationdetection device 602 is a sensor 304. In some aspects, the measurementmodule 114 can include both a measurement receiver and one or moresensors.

The optimization module 116 can include, for example, a processingdevice 604 and a memory device 606. The processing device 604 can becommunicatively coupled to one or more of the utilization detectiondevices 602 and the memory device 606. The processing device 604 caninclude any processing device or group of processing devices configuredto execute one or more algorithms for managing power consumed by one ormore devices in the DAS 102. The processing device 604 can include anydevice suitable for executing program instructions stored in the memorydevice 606. Examples of processing device 604 include a microprocessor,an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), an FPGA, or othersuitable processor. The memory device 606 can include, for example, anon-transitory computer-readable medium. The program instructions caninclude a power management engine 608. The power management engine 608can include one or more algorithms for managing power consumption by theDAS 102. For example, the power management engine 608 can be executed bythe processing device 604 to perform one or more of the operationsdescribed above with respect to FIGS. 1-5.

The devices included in the power management subsystem 112 and depictedin FIG. 6 can be included in one or more devices of the DAS 102. In someaspects, the devices included in the power management subsystem 112 anddepicted in FIG. 6 can be included in the unit 104. In other aspects,the devices included in the power management subsystem 112 and depictedin FIG. 6 can be included in one or more of the remote units 106 a, 106b, 106 c. For example, one or more of the processing device 604 and thememory device 606 can be included in or communicatively coupled to aprocessing module 402 of a remote unit 106. In other aspects, thedevices included in the power management subsystem 112 and depicted inFIG. 6 can be included in one or more of the unit 104 and remote units106 a, 106 b, 106 c.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail withrespect to specific aspects and features thereof, it will be appreciatedthat those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of theforegoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, andequivalents to such aspects and features. Each of the disclosed aspects,examples, and features can be combined with one or more of the otherdisclosed aspects, examples, and features. Accordingly, it should beunderstood that the present disclosure has been presented for purposesof example rather than limitation, and does not preclude inclusion ofsuch modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subjectmatter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is: A method comprising: monitoring a utilization metricfor a remote unit in a telecommunication system, wherein the utilizationmetric comprises data indicative of one or more terminal devices beingavailable for communication with the remote unit; determining that theremote unit is underutilized based on the monitored utilization metric;and configuring the remote unit for a low-power operation in response todetermining that the remote unit is underutilized to manage powerconsumption in the telecommunication system; wherein the data indicativeof the one or more terminal devices being available for communicationwith the remote unit comprises data indicative of at least one of abandwidth and a data rate used by the one or more terminal devices. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the remote unit isunderutilized includes using a sensor to detect activity within acoverage zone in which the remote unit is geographically located,wherein the data indicative of the one or more terminal devices beingavailable for communication with the remote unit comprises dataindicative of the activity detected by the sensor.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an RFID scanner, aproximity sensor, a motion sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a radarsensor.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the remote unitfor the low-power operation comprises deactivating a communicationdevice in the remote unit.
 5. The method of claim 4, whereindeactivating the communication device in the remote unit comprisesdeactivating at least one antenna element.
 6. The method of claim 4,wherein deactivating the communication device in the remote unitcomprises switching the remote unit from amultiple-input/multiple-output mode utilizing a plurality of antennaelements to a single-input/single-output mode utilizing fewer than allof the plurality of antenna elements.
 7. The method of claim 4, whereindeactivating the communication device in the remote unit comprisesdeactivating at least one RF signal processing device in an uplink pathor a downlink path of the remote unit.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinconfiguring the remote unit for the low-power operation comprisesreducing a number of frequency channels used by the remote unit forwirelessly communicating with the one or more terminal devices.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein configuring the remote unit for the low-poweroperation comprises reducing power usage by a power amplifier fortransmitting signals by the remote unit.
 10. A method comprising:monitoring a utilization metric for a remote unit in a telecommunicationsystem, wherein the utilization metric comprises data indicative of oneor more terminal devices being available for communication with theremote unit; determining that the remote unit is underutilized based onthe monitored utilization metric; configuring the remote unit for alow-power operation in response to determining that the remote unit isunderutilized to manage power consumption in the telecommunicationsystem; and executing a scheduling algorithm for determining that thetelecommunication system is operating during a low-utilization period,wherein the monitoring is performed based on determining that thetelecommunication system is operating during the low-utilization period.11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data indicative of the one ormore terminal devices being available for communication with the remoteunit comprises data indicative of at least one of a bandwidth and a datarate used by the one or more terminal devices.
 12. A power managementsubsystem comprising: a measurement module configured for monitoring autilization metric for a remote unit in a telecommunication system,wherein the utilization metric comprises data indicative of one or moreterminal devices being available for communication with the remote unit;and an optimization module configured for: determining whether theremote unit is underutilized based on the monitored utilization metric;and configuring the remote unit for a low-power operation in response todetermining that the remote unit is underutilized to manage powerconsumption in the telecommunication system; wherein the data indicativeof the one or more terminal devices being available for communicationwith the remote unit comprises data indicative of at least one of abandwidth and a data rate used by the one or more terminal devices. 13.The power management subsystem of claim 12, wherein the measurementmodule comprises a measurement receiver in a master unit of thetelecommunication system and the optimization module comprises aprocessing device in the master unit, wherein the master unit iscommunicatively coupleable to the remote unit.
 14. The power managementsubsystem of claim 12, wherein the measurement module comprises ameasurement receiver in the remote unit and the optimization modulecomprises a processing device in a master unit of a distributed antennasystem, wherein the master unit is communicatively coupleable to a basestation and is communicatively coupled to the remote unit.
 15. The powermanagement subsystem of claim 12, wherein the measurement modulecomprises a sensor configured to detect activity in a coverage zoneserviced by the remote unit, wherein the data indicative of the one ormore terminal devices being available for communication with the remoteunit comprises data indicative of the activity detected by the sensor.16. The power management subsystem of claim 12, wherein the measurementmodule comprises at least one of a sensor that is included in orcommunicatively coupled to the remote unit and a measurement receiverthat is included in or communicatively coupled to the remote unit,wherein the optimization module comprises a processing device of theremote unit.
 17. The power management subsystem of claim 12, wherein thepower management subsystem is configured for obtaining the utilizationmetric based on signal traffic received by the remote unit in and datafrom a sensor configured to detect occupancy in a coverage zone servicedby the remote unit.
 18. The power management subsystem of claim 12,wherein the optimization module is further configured for: determiningthat a terminal device in a coverage zone serviced by the remote unit isnot being operated by a user; excluding, from a determination of theutilization metric, at least some of the signal traffic from theterminal device in response to determining that the terminal device isnot being operated by a user.
 19. A distributed antenna systemcomprising: a plurality of remote units configured for wirelesslycommunicating with terminal devices in a coverage zone, wherein eachremote unit of the plurality of remote units comprises a respectiveutilization detection device for detecting data indicative of arespective utilization metric for the remote unit, wherein therespective utilization metric comprises data indicative of one or moreterminal devices being available for communication with the remote unit;and a unit communicatively coupleable to a base station andcommunicatively coupled to the plurality of remote units, wherein theunit is configured for: monitoring the utilization metrics for theplurality of remote units, determining whether at least one remote unitof the plurality of remote units is underutilized based on at least oneof the monitored utilization metrics, and configuring the at least oneremote unit for a low-power operation in response to determining fromthe at least one of the monitored utilization metrics that the at leastone remote unit is underutilized; wherein the data indicative of the oneor more terminal devices being available for communication with theremote unit comprises data indicative of at least one of a bandwidth anda data rate used by the one or more terminal devices.
 20. Thedistributed antenna system of claim 19, wherein the utilizationdetection device for detecting data indicative of the respectiveutilization metric comprises a sensor configured for detecting occupancyin the coverage zone, wherein at least one of the unit and the at leastone remote unit is configured for determining the at least one of themonitored utilization metrics from the occupancy in the coverage zone,wherein the data indicative of the one or more terminal devices beingavailable for communication with the remote unit comprises dataindicative of the occupancy.
 21. The distributed antenna system of claim19, wherein the utilization detection device for detecting dataindicative of the respective utilization metric comprises a measurementreceiver configured for detecting uplink traffic in the coverage zone,wherein at least one of the unit and the at least one remote unit isconfigured for determining the at least one of the monitored utilizationmetrics from an amount of the uplink traffic in the coverage zone.